The hit list

You know the feeling when you've committed yourself to something new and different and big. Its usually scary....and in my case drops a huge lump of apprehension in my gut. Just verbalising my feeling about selling these smocks on etsy. But I need to soldier on because I've already started.

So this week's hit list, which I really need to make time for:-

1) Cut and sew the next smock. I have been sewing up a few of these since last week, but I didn't want to give you a blow by blow account of each one. Didn't want to inflict death-by-smock-photo.

2) Fix the fit on the other sizes

3) Choose the design for the summer smock and draw pattern

4) Launder and iron corduroy fabric, all of it

5) Figure out if there's enough to feed the masses on Saturday

6) Figure out where to hide all of my fabric (and the other crap) on Saturday

7) Do a massive clean for Saturday

8) Prepare lucky dip for the monthly blogmeet with these ladies

9) Show my appreciation to Jane for my super flibbertygibbet swap package. She caught on my love of Kaffe Fassett fabric and look at the fabric tacks, not to mention the quilt magazine. Thanks heaps, Jane!

Oh yeah! We're having loads of company on Saturday arriving for the bub's birthday and whatever possessed me to try fit 40+ people in this small flat is beyond me. Doh! Must be the medication.

Illustration Friday - Cars

Driving in "cars" with boys....or just one boy, as is the case.

I saw a similar toy car (which Sally is riding in) in a shop window just recently. It came in a sky blue, like an old 1950s Merc and a bubblegum pink. Very pretty!

Poor neglected drawings! Its been two long months. I'll try to be diligent this time.

Inspiring me

I've got kids clothes and kids stuff on my mind nowadays...and with the making of these smocks its always constant.

At the moment, I'm inspired from this catalogue I picked up from a local kids shop called Sista Life. They stock a lot of European brands like Cakewalk, Pak Huis Oost and Room Seven....pricey but their sales assistants are so friendly. They actually invited me in just to have an oggle around, unheard of round these parts! Anyway, have a look at the gorgeous sock reindeer and the girly, ruffled, flowery bed linen (see lower centre).


Then there's these two dresses that I want to make for the bub's summer wardrobe, from this japanese craft book. I'm still figuring out the pattern.

While we're on japanese craft books, has everyone seen this informative post by Moving Hands? I'd say its a "must read" for anyone who wants to make sense of those craft book patterns.

And since we're talking inspiration Claudine had tagged me last week to list down my five....only five???....favourite blogs. I can't just give you five, she pleads....from one who has 198 listed in her bloglines, but I'll try my hardest to whittle it down to my favourite five. So here goes...

1. Crazy Aunt Purl - hilarious, funny exploits about a supposed knitting gal
2. Tree Fall - did you see all the crafty goodness she managed to cart back from New York?
3. Moonstitches - those little owlets still amaze me, as well as the occasional peek into another culture
4. SouleMama - her photos and her craft projects are so inspiring, they belong in a magazine
5. Angry Chicken - another crafty blog that looks like a magazine spread

There are heaps of others, but we'll be here forever. And the weekend is looming. And I've got some more fabric to cut. And I've got to start planning for someone's birthday bash....And. And. And. And it just never ends.

Cheerio!

Edit: Doh! In my haste to do some boring chores, I forgot to pass the baton and tag some peeps. However, I suspect that I've lost some momentum here 'cos I didn't do it then. So if you feel like doing this meme, just let me know so that I can read it on your blogs.

Crappy & swappy

We're all feeling crap! We're all such lightweights. The first cold snap happens....the bub, the geezer and I all get the sniffles. The cat even threw up on the floor boards, probably from a stomach bug. The poor geezer had to mop it all up, cos I was too woozy yesterday.

And then the unthinkable happened......this dang machine gave me the "blue screen of doom". Twice. Yesterday. Even the computer was feeling like shithouse!

I was without the internet for a full day, while this thing went to a laptop doctor. No email. No internet. Funny how what was viewed as a luxury, only a scant few years ago, is now a necessity. Being at home with the kiddo day in and day out can feel like being boxed in sometimes. This dang machine has become my lifeline to the outside world and the thought of losing it was giving me panic attacks. Fortunately, it came back working, but with a stern warning to get rid of some programs and get another yadda yadda yadda.....yeah, I got bored by this point, too. I'll let the geezer take care of it when the time comes.


Just to make my day better, I got this very colourful package from Samantha for Flibbertygibbet's fabric swap. My first! There were all sorts of goodies in there....the three strips of lovely fabric, some buttons, some embroidery floss, a moo card and my absolute favourite, a generous length of vintage trim! Thank you, thank you! And thank you, Gail, for organising this swap. Getting this in the mail has definitely turned my day around.


Gee, what's that gonna be?

Etsy ahoy

Thank you, thank you, dear blog readers! You don't know how encouraging and helpful your comments were, especially the ones you left on the last post. I tried to find email addresses and blogs to each of the comments so that I can personally thank you myself, but it just wasn't possible.....so please count this as my gesture of gratitude in response to you.


Gathering from the title you can surmise that, yes, I shall be opening an etsy shop soon-ish. It will be a start and then I'll just go with the flow from there. I'm giving myself a month or so, to sew up the smocks, a mixture of summer and winter versions. I'll reveal the summer version on this blog within the next few weeks. At the moment, its still in my imagination....but it looks just as good as the corduroy ones.

Just for a change of pace, I whipped up this peasant style top for the bub on the weekend. You can see the cute flower print on the photo above. Its still a bit big on her, but should be right in time for the southern hemisphere spring. I even got some crochet lace to embellish the hem, but it seem too froufrou with the lace after I pinned it on. So I kept it simple.

Above is more evidence of the weekend.......lots of pattern making and cutting for the larger sizes. There's a pile of tissue paper on my work table at the moment and I'm itching to start pinning it to some uncut corduroy. But first I must tidy up the flat!

To be or not to be

I've been debating this idea in my head for a few weeks now. To ebay or to etsy or not.


Ever since I started making these smocks, I've been appreciating all the lovely feedback from you, my blog readers and also from friends and family....and I've also been admiring the crafty women among you who've managed to combine your playtime with some enterprising work.

I've been trying to figure out how I could possibly get in on the action. But now that I seem to be whipping one up without double-guessing the next step, it almost seems possible.

One of my girlfriends has even suggested spruiking the wares at the local kids' shops just to see if there's any interest. But the clincher really happened last weekend when we were at a party with a room full of bare acquaintances, two mums (one to a 15mth old girl) who complimented the smock that the bub was wearing and asked us where we bought it from.

I was just struck dumb and the geezer had to explain that I made them...with me adding later that I made them because I couldn't find anything not-pink in the shops.

This red one will probably be the first of the shop stock, unless I decide to totally abandon the idea. Or I get offered a job I can't refuse next week. Somehow this option doesn't even look to be in the realm of possibilities.

So what do you think, folks? Should I or shouldn't I?

Yikes! I have to find a way to start self-financing this fabric habit, after all.

My other obsession

Let me interrupt our regular programming with a peek for you into my shoe wardrobe. I wasn't joking when I told you I'm a "shoe slut" (much more apt, thanks Anna!).


So here are a few tidbits I gathered along the way, which I thought I'd share about this all consuming passion of mine:

(1) Narrow feet plus Italian shoes equals marriage in heaven....although the French brands are good, too.



(2) Everywhere else in the world is cheaper than Australia for good quality shoes....especially the Sak's outlet store in the middle of suburban Honolulu.

(3) I've been known to navigate a new city on holiday via the shoe shops.....and I've never gotten lost yet.

(4) I once went on holiday to Italy and Switzerland with the hiking boots on my feet and a backpack. I came back home with the backpack and a wheelie bag full of seven pairs of shoes....plus a pair that I had to send back via the post, because it wouldn't fit in the luggage. *Gulp*

(5) When I used to work in an office, my colleagues use to track the shoes I wore (without my knowing) and announced to me in the middle of a team meeting that I hadn't worn the same pair twice in the last month. Yep, my boss was in cahoots with them.

(6) Once you hit the fifty-pair mark, they all start looking good all the time, because they're hardly worn.

(7) Once you hit the fifty-pair mark, there will invariably be at least a pair...or two, that has never been worn.

(8) I don't only have narrow feet, but also own stick like legs...hence boots tend to look like wellies on me. The only time I managed to have great boots was about eight years ago, when I had some custom made in Hong Kong for a very reasonable sum. Those boots got loved to death....so they died.

(9) Great sexy shoes does lift an outfit from "okay" to "hey! hey!"

(9) I used to always ummm and ahhh about the price tag of a toaster/ iron/ kettle/ microwave, but never hesitated forking out a modest fortune on a pair of pretty shoes......Shhh! I don't do this anymore.

(10) I was so wretched when I was pregnant because my feet swelled two sizes up and I couldn't fit into any of the pairs. Fortunately, they're back to my normal size.

(11) When people tell you they can go grooving all night in a pair of skyscraper heels, they tell a lie....or their instep is permanently deformed in a steep arch. I couldn't last more two hours in stilettos and always go barefoot by the end of the evening.

Oh, and in case you're wondering....all the photos above are part of my catalogue. I usually take a photo of a new shoe and stick the snap on the box. Makes it easier to hunt out that elusive pair when you've only got two minutes to spare in the morning.

By the way, this hasn't turned into a shoe blog. I'll be back to blogging the crafty goodness on the next post. Ciao!

Random meme

I was going through my daily blog fix this afternoon when, to my delight Cathy had tagged me for the "random" meme. I guess I've finally arrived in the craft blogosphere, since this is my first time tagged by a fellow crafter. Hooray!

So here are the rules:

1. Start with 7 random facts/habits about yourself (ah, but can I keep to just seven?)
2. People who are tagged have to write their 7 things on their blog
3. Then choose another 7 people to get tagged and list their names

Here I go:

(1) I'm a notorious shopaholic...I'm always in recovery, mind you. Being at home with the bub is a balm for my "naughty" ways. I'm learning and I'm hoping to be on the mend.

(2) Don't laugh now, but I'm married to an accountant. Yes, the geezer does count every single cent that I spend, most of the time. I'm well-practiced in the ways of deception. For example he says "Hello! Pretty frock...you've never worn that before." "Uh huh, I've had it in the cupboard for ages. Don't you remember buying it at the shop with me?", she says innocently. Nowadays it goes more along the lines of "I see you've been shopping again" he says bringing in the mail. My standard retort is "Oh, I ordered that two months ago. Doesn't it feel great? I get a shopping fix that lasts two months long?".........smirk, smirk, wink, wink.

(3) I'm a shoe whore. At last count, I have about 78 pairs of shoes in the closet....oof, not counting the several pairs of runners on the hallway rack. I believe it all started with me having narrow feet. I used to have a terrible time finding comfortable, let alone stunning shoes. Whenever I found one, I'd snap it up without hesitation. Weeell.....that's what I tell myself anyway.

(4) Also on the shoe-related vein, four years ago while on a flying visit to see the geezer's aunt in New York, she took me to a Manolo Blahnik warehouse sale, which happened to be in a hotel somewhere (downtown? I've forgotten). She just happened to be the kind of gal who was in the know about this sort of thing. Anyway, when we got there, everything was gone, of course. But sitting in the waiting room was Cynthia Nixon, post Sex & the City with about 20 boxes of delectable shoeness next to her chair. For a brief moment, I was breathing the same air as one of the fab-four-with-the-divine-heels.

(5) Whenever a piece of electrical equipment fails around here, I'm the one who usually fixes it. Back in the day when the geezer and I were newly acquainted, he once came to me with a broken vacuum cleaner bemoaning that he'd have to get a new one, can I come and choose one with him, please? I took one look at it, took the tubing thingy apart, put it back together, plugged it in, turned it on and cleaned the room. In fact, I'm the one who puts together any flat-packed furniture that makes it way home here.

(6) I love chocolate creme brulee....this is my dessert vice of choice. I don't know how to make it, but whenever we eat out and its on the menu, then for sure it'll be on my plate before the evening is out.

(7) Oh, yeah....and I met Mother Teresa, nay, I kissed Mother Teresa when I was about 11 years old. Back in my catholic school, we had one week in the school year where we had to sign up to do some volunteer work in some charitable religious organisation. I picked to spend the week in an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity. Anyway, on the last day, around lunch there was a strange commotion near the gate. The nuns and all the children were all gathering around a nun near this combi van. Everyone was touching and kissing her. By some bizarre circumstance I got pushed to the front and this nice old lady offered her cheek. I didn't want to embarrass her, so I gave her a small peck on the cheek. After the van left, I asked one of the sisters who that was and she looked at me like I was a ninny, then told me who she was. (Cue myself with jaw dropping to the floor) Hey, I was 11 and still playing with Barbies! What did I know?!

Okay, enough about me....not exactly riveting reading. I'm now tagging Belinda, Claudine, Gail, Tamara, Anna, Tash and Sarah Jayne. Now, I suspect there'll be a lot of double tagging happening, since I've seen this meme going around for a few weeks now. So, ladies, no pressure. I know a lot of you are super busy... so only if you're feeling like it.

Anyways, just thought you'd like to see the fit of those smocks. I finally got the opportunity to convince the bub into the get-up and here she is. It looks more like a pinafore dress on her at the moment. I suspect that as she gets bigger, it'll start to fit more like a top.

And lookee.....pair number 79, from today's foray.

Not another smock

I was gearing up to cut up some fabric for another smock, when I thought "oh, sod it! give it a break now". She's got enough winter clothes and I'm sure some of them might not even get a wear, she grows like a weed.


So I cut into my most treasured Echino birdy canvas to make a tote, since I lost my dotty one last Friday. I've been hoarding this fabric for what seems like eons just waiting for the right design idea.....I always thought there was a cushion hiding in there, but no. Its actually a tote bag.

Just in time for my first Mother's Day this weekend, too.

My present to myself, although the real present is sitting in her "cage" playing with her blocks. Umm, did I say "cage"? I meant "play pen"...as if this place isn't small enough, already. Be warned, people. Have a baby, prepare for the baby junk!

Out in the open

Funny how as I live my "real" life, every now and then I come across some very clever turn of phrase or some remark that came up in conversation....and I say to myself "hmmm, must use that sometime in the blog" to make it sound witty and clever-like, you know. Of course, it never happens and I wish blog material could roll off my tapping fingertips so easy. So today, I'm just blathering and free-associating on the blog topics in general.....because I'm grasping for material, so to speak.

There's the various swaps, the mountains of projects, not to mention the imaginary ones still knocking about in our heads and the shopping.......let's not fool ourselves, folks. We may be fossicking deep for vintage (read old & most times smelly) finds at the local brotherhood, vinnies or salvos bins, but it is still shopping. And lastly, the best source of material is real life as it unfolds and the instances when the real collides with the blog, like last week's mini blog meet.

As I review some of my archives I can't believe how much I've included the bub and the geezer in my ramblings. Also, when I started, this blog was my guilty secret, another life, another part of me tucked away to pass the time while the bub is napping. Not so anymore, since my mum, my sister, the geezer's aunt and four really good blogless friends have become lurkers.

Now that its out in the open, I'm not keeping too silent about it anymore. (Get to the point, woman!) And this post should've been written as the last one, because that was the 100th post! (Silly me wasn't paying attention.) Yeah, I can't believe I lasted this long....phew! So thank you, bloggy friends, regular readers, commenters and tourists. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be blathering about nothing today.

And if I haven't lost you, yet.........the parcel of goodness above is from the lovely Tamara, because she picked up my suggestion on what to do with some pretty fabric she had. She even included some cute ribbon clips, which she makes. Yay!

So cheerio for the rest of the day! Hope to see you again next time, same place, same channel.

Time does fly

We must have been having fun....or the days have been full, 'cos its feels like aaages since I last posted. Five days is a long time in blogland, isn't it?

I myself have been keeping very busy the last few days doing a major clean-up of our flat. About twice a year as the seasons change, I stress and I panic about how like a pig-stye this place is, usually brought on by my inviting some guests over for dinner or lunch. That's my excuse, anyway. So, now that the "woop woop woop" has been done, I can sit back and let the dust bunnies pile up on the floor boards........until it starts bugging me again.


And I do have friends coming over for a girly lunch today, so I must disappear into the kitchen now to do some veggie chopping.


But not before I show you the latest smock, this time using dark-ish blue, more like indigo coloured corduroy and some Moda Building Blocks fabric. The construction of this one is much, much better than the green one and it looks better with the longer ties.

By the way, because you asked, the Lotta book from my last post definitely gets the thumbs up from me....and it comes with patterns! How excellent is that?! Anyway, if you'd like to see a more comprehensive and accurate (I think) review of the book from someone more knowledgeable than me, then surf on here for a read.

More blather

First of all, a big thank you to Christine, my Mellow+Yellow swap partner, who sent me this package of green-ness. I actually received it earlier in the week, but with all the drama happening earlier, I hadn't managed to post about it. My favourite would have to be the box of green tea and the herb kits. There's also some pens, some cute hair slides, a little show-off album for the bub's photos, a candle and a bit of Flea Market Fancy.


Secondly, thank you everyone for all of your useful suggestions on the overlocker/serger question that I had from my last post. I'll personally respond back to all of you before my evening is out.

Also, today I met for the first time these three lovely ladies and crafty bloggers, in person. I had been so looking forward to this little blog meet for weeks....then I scuppered my bit, doh! You see we had agreed to do a lucky dip, instead of a four-way swap. Then we wouldn't have to make three of everything....less stress, yada yada yada, you know what I mean. Anyway, I brought in a little dotty bag, my package which was made up of the latest wristlet, some japanese fabric, some home-made bias and a little project. Doofus that I am, lost the bloody (am I allowed to say THAT word in cyberspace?) package when I wasn't looking. I looked everywhere and its as if it just vanished....or probably inadvertently filched by little fingers. We were in a playground, after all. Oh well! Honest girls, I really did bring something and I really am crafty.

But it didn't matter too much anyway. Belinda, Corrie and Claudine were all so gracious about it and started chatting lots of crafty-speak, that I forgot about the kerfuffle after a while. I really enjoyed your company, ladies. Thanks for inviting me along!

Alright, I'm now going to plan dinner while I oggle an apron project from this book.....a belated birthday pressie from the geezer. Isn't he a good boy?

And waiting for me tonight is more sewing on the second smock, while the geezer goes out to get inebriated with his mates. Quiet evening for me!

Looking for a new toy

Thank you, everyone, for your concern about the bub...it turned out to be quite mild (a bit of tonsillitis) , as I had thought. But you know, it was the first time she had ever been sick and I didn't want to be too laid back about it. So aside from having to shove the prescribed syrups down her gullet, she's back to her smiley, sunny self again.


A question for you folks....can anyone recommend a good overlocker/serger? I've been tinkering with the idea of owning one for a while. But, as with any major toy acquisition I need to do the research, and who better to ask than you crafty peeps. The geezer is always wary of any big "play" purchases, in case the object of affection gets relegated to the back of the cupboard....or even worse, the garage, after just a few weeks. I've been the guilty culprit of this waste in the past.

Case study number 1: the automatic bread maker - it did get used all of three times, then eventually ended up on the grassy curb during the bi-annual hard rubbish pick-up day.

Case study number 2: the real fancy hair straightener - used the last time I had long hair, which was almost four years ago. It's been languishing in a box in the cupboard all this time.

Case study number 3: the gym membership - everybody's favourite black hole...out of sight, out of mind. That one happened about five years ago for me, and boy did I fritter away a major amount of dosh there!


I have learned my lesson, I think. This time, I know I'll be using the overlocker continuously for the first six months, probably the first year, to make clothes for the bub and for me....because I've caught the bug now. There's no turning back!

So I'd appreciate some info on which worked, which ones are excellent and which ones to steer clear of. All suggestions are welcome.

Oh, yeah....and there's this pouch wristlet I made today just because I had to scratch the crafting itch.

Bits & bobs

The little monkey is a miserable, snotty mess today. The poor bub caught a cold from either myself or the geezer, and isn't her normal sunny self. We thought it may just have been a slight drippy nose and mild fever due to the teething.

But today, she's been honking, snorking, then yelling from the frustration of blocked sinuses. I'm wheeling her up to the doctor this afternoon to see if he could prescribe a quick syrupy fix to the misery of it all.

So, although I've got the second smock ready to go, the fabric still needs to be cut. I promised a friend I'll finish the second one this week and possibly a third one next week for a secret project, but more on that later.

I'll leave you with some random bits from the bub's bedroom.....animal painting I made some time back above her soft toy shelf.....and an elephant bookend.